1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to arrangements for holding work pieces at predetermined or convenient orientations, and more particularly, to an arrangement that allows simultaneous locking in place and clamping of a work holder arrangement at a precise location and orientation, and with multiple degrees of freedom with infinite resolution.
2. Description of the Related Art
Support arms for work holder arrangements are used in the prior art in various ways, such as for preparing sheet metal parts for assembly or further production. Often, such arrangements are employed with a holding arrangement that includes a suction cup, and are used to carry articles from one production process to another, or to hold the articles during processing.
It is desired to provide a mounting bracket, or arm, that affords quick orientation and clamping of the bracket into a desired position, while also permitting infinite resolution over multiple degrees of freedom. Some prior art work holder arrangements achieve rapid clamping and setting with a single fastener. These known brackets, however, achieve the clamping convenience at the expense of degrees for freedom. For example, a known bracket that clamps and sets with a single fastener provides neither axial extension of the bracket nor rotational positioning about the axis. This known bracket, therefore, is not universal.
Similarly, a further known bracket that has endeavored to achieve the capacity for rotational positioning about the axis requires that fixation be effected only at predetermined increments of rotation. This known arrangement does not provide infinite rotational placement resolution, and provides no axial extension whatsoever.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a mounting bracket arrangement for a work piece in process that provides rotational and axial placement about the bracket axis.
It is another object of this invention to provide a mounting bracket arrangement for a work piece in process that provides infinite placement resolution in rotational and axial placement of the work piece with respect to the bracket axis.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a mounting bracket arrangement for a work piece in process that provides up to four degrees of freedom of placement of the workpiece with respect to a mounting structure.